South West mum blog

Tag Archives: Sleep

Sleep’s got to be right up there as one of the, if not the, most talked about topics by parents across the land. At one stage, ‘how’s he/she sleeping?’ was the first question on my lips as I heaved my over-loaded pushchair into a cafe to sit and gulp down strong coffee with a group of other over-tired mums. That stage seemed to last for a while, as I’ve already written about.

It does get better (as I’d reassure my former sleep-deprived self if I could), but then there are lapses. And Continue reading →

As I type, little Scrip has already been asleep for six hours, and it’s only 9.45pm. She’s suffering from a virus – with a nasty viral rash – along with two canines working their way up through her gums. Not a happy combination.

It was pretty scary earlier today when I received a text about a sudden rash she had, that didn’t seem to be disappearing under a tumbler. I now know that there are different kinds of tumbler tests – not just pressing the glass down but also rolling it over the rash. The first can be used for heat rashes, the second, for most viral rashes, unless it’s something more serious. Luckily, the rash disappeared with the second.

My doctor was really helpful – even though I called her at lunchtime when the surgery was closed – and she made an emergency appointment straight away. She checked Scrip out thoroughly and prescribed our old friends Calpol and Baby Nurofen, which can be used four hours apart but alternately (so a dose of Calpol then a dose of Baby Nurofen two hours later, then Calpol two hours after that and so on) if necessary. We’re also going to keep an eye on the rash and check if it becomes itchy or changes in any way.

I’ve been planning a blog post about something totally different, but I’m just so tired I can’t muster the words. So instead I’m going to write a bit about being tired. Maybe it will send us both to sleep. I’m certainly ready.

The epidemic started during pregnancy – in those early weeks when I was so exhausted after a day at work the stairs seemed like Everest. Then there was the late pregnancy tiredness, accompanied by the kind of aches and pains I didn’t expect to be experiencing for at least a few more decades. Then the hazy, day/night merging tiredness punctuated by black-out sleeps if I did manage to nap during the day. And finally the ‘up 4 times a night’ tiredness with days fuelled solely by caffeine.